Electric candle lighter



June 25, 1940. w. R. LAMM ELECTRIC CANDLE LIGHTER.

Filed Jan. 26, 1938 Rm m m ma 1 M n Y M 5 Patented June 25, 1940 STATES PATENT @FFME 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to an electric candle lighter and primarily intended for use with altar candles.

The object of the invention is to produce an electric candle lighting device of simple construction whereby altar candles may be lighted without the necessity of using a lighted match or lighted taper as is now the common practice.

A further object is to provide such a device with means whereby a blast of air or other fluid or gas may be delivered across the flame of the lighted candle wick to extinguish it.

A further object is to so construct the lighter that the electric cord or conductor for the lighter may be extended to adapt the device for use with a relatively new or tall candle, and to provide means whereby, as the candle burns away and becomes shorter, the slack in the cord or conductor and extinguisher tube will be taken care of.

With the foregoing objects in view, the present invention consists of the candle lighter and the devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation the candle lighter and a candlestick or holder for a candle assembled for use;

Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale partly in cross section, the upper end of a candle with the candle lighter in operative position;

Fig. 3 shows a top plan view;

Fig. 4 shows in perspective a supplemental or auxiliary wicl: and the lighting coils;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective a follower or guard which supports the lighting elements and an extinguisher tube;

Fig. 6 shows in perspective a detail of the means for supporting the electrical conductor and other elements and connection with the follower or guard;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form in which the extensible cord or con ductor is enclosed in the candlestick or holder.

Similar reference characters will be employed to designate corresponding parts.

In the drawing 5 indicates a candle of any usual type. 2 indicates a candle holder extension fitted in the upper end of the candlestick or holder into which the lower end of the candle is adjustably fitted. The candlestick or holder is provided at its upper end with a flaring cup 3 having an opening at its center into which the candle holder extension 2 is fitted. The candlestick may have any usual form of support preferably one having a hollow cylindrical post 3 and base 3 Supported by the top of the candle is a conical follower or guard 4 made of any suitable metal and which has a diameter at its smaller end somewhat less than the diameter of the candle to which it is fitted so that when placed on the candle the follower guard 4 will surround the upper end of the candle and prevent the melted Wax from V overflowing and running down the candle itself. The guard l carries the electric lighting element which is mounted thereon and held thereto in any suitable manner as by means of a metallic band or strap 5, the ends of which may be secured by riveting or (as shown in Fig. 5) by a tongue 9 at one end, which engages a slot '5 at the other end of the band and which after passing through the slot may be bent backwardly to maintain the connection and hold the band 5 on the follower guard i. The band 5 supports an insulating block 8 held thereto by clamping tongues 9, the block having tubes or passages it through which pass the wires l l of the electric lighting element which, as indicated, will be formed as two coils, a relatively large coil l2 and a relativelysmall coil I3.

The coils l2 and I3 will preferably be arranged closely to each other and extend over the wick end of the candle as shown in the drawing. The coil i2 is intended to surround the usual candle wick l4 near its upper end as shown, and the coil 53 supports a lighting or pilot wick M which is relatively short and is supported adjacent to the candle wickl l, the lower end of the wick it being formed with a loop it adapted to surround the candle wick i l near the base thereof or otherwise formed so that the lower end of the wick i 5 can absorb the melted wax of the candle, held in the cup-like depression formed by the melting of the wax of the candle.

The pilot wick I5 is made of some non-combustible material, such as asbestos fibers, about which is wound spirally a guard ll made of hichrome or other suitable metal wire which binds the asbestos fibers together and affords means whereby the wick He may be bent and maintained in bent position as required and adjusted to the candle.

It is understood of course that as usual the wick M passes entirely through the longitudinal axis or the candle and extends from end to end and is exposed at one end for the purpose of lighting. The wires i! are connected, respectiv ly, at ill and ill to the ends of the coils i2 and it, and they are also connected to the electric conductors 20 and 2i by means of which a relatively low current of electricity may be delivered to the coils l2 and I3 and by which the coils are heated suiiiciently to ignite the pilot wick l5 which will in turn light the candle wick M.

The electric cord or conductor 22 is coiled about and supported by a rod 23 or other suitable support extending parallel to the post 3 and secured to the base 3' and at its lower end projects as at 24 to be connected to a source of electric current. The electric conductor in coiled form 22 can be enclosed in a tube or post of any suitable material and of large enough diameter to allow free movement of the coils.

The rod 23 also supports a freely movable weight 25 which is connected to the cord or conductor, the upper end of which extends to the upper ends of the candle. As the candle is consumed, the falling of the candle guard 4 permits the weight 25 to move downwardly on the rod 23 thus taking care of the slack in the electric cord or conductor and this arrangement permitting the lighting device to be connected to a relatively long candle and to travel downwardly as the candle is consumed, at the same time taking care of wires.

In Fig. '7 is shown a modification in which the spirally coiled electric conductor is enclosed with in a hollow cylindrical tube or post 26 forming a part of the candlestick or holder. Within the tube 26 is a rod 21 and along the rod slides a weight 28 connected to that part of the conductor which extends upwardly to the lighting element. In this form of the device the cord or conductor passes through a vertical slot 29 of the candle holder extension 2, which not only provides for the adjustment of the extension to fit candles of difierent diameters but also provides means whereby the electric conductor may be passed into the extension holder 2 and through an opening 3m to be connected with the weight 28. As in the form shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the conductor extends beyond the base of the candlestick or holder.

The block 8 supports an extinguisher tube 3!, the upper open end being curved towards the wicks l4 and i5. This tube 3| is connected to a source of air or other flame extinguishing fluid supply (as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6) and operates to deliver a blast of air or other flame extinguishing fluid against the lighted wicks to extinguish them.

It will of course be understood that both the electric conductors and the tube for conducting the extinguishing fluid to the tube 3| maybe embodied in a single coil and supported about the rod 23 or 2"! and, in the latter case, be enclosed in the hollow post 26.

In operation the pilot wick having been lighted by current passing through the coils, will light the wick H! of the candle. The pilot wick has its lower end resting in the cup-shaped recess formed by the candle and by capillary attraction will cause the wick IE to become saturated with the ,wax of which the candle may be formed, and in that condition, as soon as current is sent through the coils, the pilot wick will at once become lighted and the candle wick will become lighted closely following thereafter.

It is of course understood that a plurality of candles may be equipped with the lighting device and that the electric current will simultaneously light all of the candles to which the lighting device may have been connected. A suitable the slack of the conducting switch (not shown) will control the flow of current so that a single operation of the switch will operate all of the lighting devices of a series and light all of the candles in a series, and in like manner a group of lighted candles may be extinguished simultaneously by a blast from each of the pipes 3|. Aside from the ability to light and extinguish candles and groups of candlesno matter where they may be placed on the altar-one great advantage residing in my electric candle lighter is that it eliminates entirely the danger inherent in the use of lighted matches or tapers which are liable to ignite altar decorations.

I claim:

1. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle, a guard or follower comprising a tapered collar whose largest diameter is greater than the diameter of the candle and whose smallest diameter is .smaller than the diameter of the candle mounted on the candle at its upper end and free to move downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting element mounted on said guard or follower and surrounding the candle wick, and an electric conductor connecting the lighting element to a source of electric current.

2. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle, a guard or follower comprising a tapered collar whose largest diameter is greater than the diameter of the candle and whose smallest diameter is smaller than the diameter of the candle mounted on the candle at its upper end and free to move downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting element mounted on said guard or follower and positioned adjacent the candle wick, and an extensible electric conductor connecting the lighting element to a source of electric current.

3. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle, a guard or follower mounted on the candle at its upper end and free to move downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting element mounted on said guard or follower and surrounding the candle wick, a pilot wick connected to the lighting element and depending therefrom with its lower end positioned adjacent to the base of the exposed end of the candle wick, and a conductor connecting the lighting element to a source of electric current.

4. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, an electric lighting element surrounding a candle wick and a pilot wick depending from the lighting element with its lower end positioned adjacent the base of the candle wick, said pilot wick composed of non-inflammable fibers, and a ductile wire wound spirally about the pilot wick to hold it in the desired position.

5. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle, a guard or follower mounted on the candle at its upper end and free to move downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting element mounted on said guard or follower and surrounding the candle wick, an extensible electric conductor connecting the lighting element and a source of electric current, a guide rod for the electric conductor, and means for controlling the extensible electric conductor as the guard or follower moves downwardly on the candle.

6. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle, a guard or follower mounted on the candle at its upper end and free to move-downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting coil mounted on said guard or follower and extended over the candle wick and positioned closely adjacent thereto, a pilot wick supported by said lighting coil, said Wick formed with a loop at its lower end surrounding the base of the candle wick to absorb the melted wax in the depression formed at the upper end of the candle by the burning wick, and an electric conductor connecting the lighting element and a source of electric current.

'7. In an electric candle lighter, in combination, a candlestick or support, a candle mounted therein, a guard or follower supported by the candle at its upper end and free to move downwardly as the candle burns away, a lighting element mounted on said guard or surrounding the candle wick, an extensible conductor connecting the lighting element and a source of electric current, the candlestick or support having a hollow post, a guiding rod positioned therein and the extensible portion of the electric conductor coiled about said guiding rod with means cooperating with said rod to control the extensible portion of the electric conductor within the hollow post.

WILLIAM R. LAMM. 

